For a long time, Persona 4 Golden was trapped on PlayStation Vita prison. Mercifully, that is no longer the case, and with ports now available on PC and modern game consoles, everyone can enjoy this classic adventure and start making choices.
Persona 4 already had a “True” ending, but Persona 4 Golden added a fair bit of additional content and context in the appropriately-titled “Golden” ending. Almost any possible lingering questions are resolved, as this ending reveals everything about the events in Inaba, and has plenty of new moments and content for the Investigation Team. With that in mind, we’ll walk you through each step necessary to get the True and Golden endings.
Warning: Massive late-game spoilers ahead for Persona 4 Golden. If you’re playing for the first time and haven’t discovered the villain’s identity, come back later!
Still here? Let’s get on with it, then!
1. Max Marie’s Social Link, and consider Adachi
The very first step to unlocking the True ending is making sure to max the big new Social Link in the game, Marie. This is the only Social Link you HAVE to max in order to see the ending, and you have until 12/31 to raise it to level ten. While you have quite a while it’s good to focus on raising Marie early so you don’t have to worry about missing it, but do note that you won’t be able to go past Rank 4 until July 24. Marie can be found outside of the Velvet Room on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, but you won’t be able to hang out with her on rainy days.
Something else you’ll want to consider is raising Adachi’s Social Link to max, which is Rank 6, by 12/3. While this isn’t required to unlock anything, doing so will unlock a handful of interesting new scenes in the True and Golden endings, so it’s worth doing.
2. Choose the right dialogue options in December
On December 3, the Investigation Team will wind up in the hospital after saving Nanako from the TV world. The team immediately blames Namatame for the murders, but as you might expect there’s more going on. While it’s possible to end the game here, if you want to uncover the true murderer you need to pick the right dialogue options while the team is discussing confronting Namatame. Here’s what to pick.
- “Wait a second here”
- “We’re missing something”
- “Their true feelings”
- “Something’s been bothering me”
- “We’re missing something”
- “Calm the hell down”
After choosing the right answer you’ll move ahead to December 5, which is when you’ll have to make another important choice. You’ll be given the opportunity to say who you think the real kîller is, at which point you’ll need to respond “Tohru Adachi.” This will unlock the Magatsu Inaba dungeon, which you’ll need to complete before Christmas.
3. Complete the Hollow Forest dungeon in February
If you’ve maxed Marie’s Social Link, like you were supposed to, you’ll now be on track for Persona 4 Golden’s extra content, which will start with the protagonist falling ill around New Year's. At the start of the year, you’ll wake up and have more free time until February 10. It’s a good idea to spend this time raising any party member Social Links you might not have maxed, as their ultimate abilities and Personas will come in handy for the forthcoming dungeons.
On February 10 the team will take a ski trip, and eventually you’ll have to save Marie from a new dungeon called the Hollow Forest on February 13. This dungeon only takes a single day, and you’ll be able to leave and re-enter without time passing like it normally does. After Valentine’s Day time will skip to March 19.
4. Don’t Leave Inaba on 3/20
March 20 is the protagonist’s last day in Inaba, and if you choose to live the city you’ll get the game’s Normal endings. To unlock the true ending, however, you need to stay.
First off, you’ll need to visit every character you have a maxed Social Link with, which means everyone that has a Rank 10 Social Link. They can all be found in the usual places except for Yukiko, who’ll be at the inn if you’re having trouble finding her. Once you’ve visited everyone you’re given a prompt to leave, and make sure to answer “No”. Head to the Junes Food Court when prompted and you’ll have a few more options, answer as follows.
- When asked again if you want to leave answer “No”
- Choose “I’m not finished yet”
- Choose “Yes”
- Choose “There’s something missing”
After this head over to the Samegawa Flood Plain where you’ll find Dojima and Nanako, as well as the Velvet Room. Head into the Velvet Room to obtain the Clarity Orb from Igor, and then finally go to the gas station in the Inaba Shopping District. Talk to the attendant and you’ll get a pretty massive story revelation, which then unlocks the true final dungeon.
Be warned: this is the most daunting dungeon the game has to offer, with a huge multi-stage boss battle at the end. You should be at least level 80 when you take on the final baddie. Once you’ve overcome the final dungeon, you’ll get the best ending Persona 4 Golden has to offer, so sit back and enjoy.
